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Mbaka not removed, Catholic Church clarifies
Following reports making the rounds that Rev Fr Ejike Mbaka has been removed as the administrator and priest-in-charge of the Adoration Ministry, Enugu, the Catholic Church has disclosed that the embattled cleric was one who proposed that Rev Fr Anthony Amadi to serve as interim administrator for the chaplaincy.
Director of Communications, Enugu Diocese, Rev. Fr. Benjamin Achi, made the disclosure in Enugu on Monday while reacting to media reports that Mbaka was removed by the church.
Achi said that Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka was not removed from the Adoration Ministry, as many reports were suggesting.
According to him, Enugu Catholic Diocese only recommended that Fr. Mbaka took time away in solitude, in order to listen to what the Spirit of God has to tell him.
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“Mbaka was allowed to propose a priest to administer, in the interim, to the faithful at the Adoration Ministry.
“With the approval of his Bishop, on Sunday Oct. 2 2022, Fr. Mbaka introduced Fr. Anthony Amadi to the worshippers.
“Unfortunately, some people were still not pleased, and would prefer that Fr. Mbaka remains,” he said.
He stated that what every true Christian, and especially every true Catholic, should do at this moment was to “commit our dear brother and priest, Fr. Mbaka, to God in prayer.
“So that he may, through this moment, encounter God specially, come out stronger and better in recognizing His will for him and gain more graces to channel those rare gifts for His glory”.
This, he said, would help for the sanctification of the people of God and society at large.
Umoh further stressed that, “Church loves Fr. Mbaka and cherishes him as an illustrious son and may our Mother Mary, the Queen of all Apostles, intercede for him. Amen”.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that following the lifting of the ban, Fr. Mbaka held a service at the ministry on Sunday amidst cheers by his followers.
The worshippers were, however, shocked when the cleric announced that he had been removed as the spiritual director of the ministry by the Catholic bishop, Most Rev Callistus Onaga.
He subsequently introduced Anthony Amadi, another Catholic priest, as the new spiritual director of the ministry.
Mbaka said he had been directed to “proceed to a monastery” as part of the disciplinary measures against him by the church.
“So, while I proceed to the monastery to continue with the remaining disciplinary exercises, as directed.
“I wouldn’t know how long; but the church has appointed Fr. Anthony Amadi, one of us, to be overseeing all affairs of the ministry, to be assisted by other priests, pending my return, by the grace of God,” Fr. Mbaka said.
The cleric also announced that the ministry had not fully reopened, explaining that some programmes including a weekly Friday all-night adoration remained suspended till further notice.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will depart Abuja on Sunday, January 26, 2025, to participate in the Africa Heads of State Energy Summit in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
The two-day summit, scheduled for January 27-28, 2025, is aimed at advancing “Mission 300,” a pan-African initiative to provide electricity to 300 million people across the continent by 2030.
Hosted by the Tanzanian government in collaboration with the African Development Bank Group and the World Bank, the summit will bring together African leaders, private sector stakeholders, development partners, and civil society organizations.
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The goal is to develop strategies for accelerating energy access in underserved regions, increasing renewable energy adoption, and mobilizing private sector investment.
According to a statement released on Saturday by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President, the summit will serve as a platform for sharing expertise, knowledge, and resources to address Africa’s energy challenges.
The first day of the summit will feature ministerial-level discussions, during which participating nations, including Nigeria, will present their national energy strategies, or “compacts,” detailing their plans to achieve universal energy access within five years.
On the second day, African Heads of State will sign the Dar es Salaam Energy Declaration, a unified roadmap for achieving the goals of Mission 300.
President Tinubu is expected to deliver a national statement reaffirming Nigeria’s commitment to universal energy access and its leadership role in the continent’s energy sector.
He will also highlight Nigeria’s ongoing clean energy initiatives and integrated energy delivery strategies aimed at fostering sustainable development across Africa.
Accompanying the president will be key government officials, including Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu, and Special Adviser to the President on Energy Olu Verheijen.
President Tinubu is set to return to Abuja immediately after the summit concludes.
The menace of illegal migration is getting diplomatic attention from the Italian authorities and the Edo State Government.
The Chief Press Secretary to Edo State Governor, Fred Itua divulged this in a government house statement issued in Benin City on Saturday.
He explained that the Coordinator, Office of the First Lady, Edesili Anani had expressed the readiness of the Governor, Monday Okpebholo-led administration to tackle the menace of irregular migration among youths in the state.
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It was gathered that Anani made the stance public on Friday in Government House, Benin City, when Dr. Alberto Cilala, a consultant to the European Union and President of Mattei Africa for Humanitarian Aids Initiative in Italy, led a delegation to her office.
Welcoming the delegation, she highlighted the importance of collaboration to address the challenges posed by irregular migration.
The Coordinator expressed her gratitude to the delegation, and emphasized the transformative impact the partnership will bring to Edo State.
In her words, “This initiative will reduce unemployment, create job opportunities, and address human trafficking and irregular migration. It will also enhance education, skills acquisition, agricultural investment, and infrastructural development for our people.”
On his part, Dr. Cilala emphasized that the Mattei Plan would provide valuable skills to Edo State residents, including tailoring, furniture-making, shoemaking, and more.
“The Mattei Plan was launched by the Italian Government with a focus on six key sectors: education and training, health, security, agriculture, and renewable energy. The goal is to promote integrated development and improve living conditions, particularly in rural areas.
“These projects will be fully funded by the Italian Government through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Labour,” he stated.
Former Senior Special Assistant to the Edo State Government on Anti-Human Trafficking and Irregular Migration, Solomon Okoduwa, in his remarks, said the Mattei Plan prioritizes practical measures to reduce irregular migration and human trafficking.
“Although nine African countries are involved in this initiative, Edo State is a crucial partner for Italy. This partnership will strengthen bilateral relations under the leadership of His Excellency, Senator Monday Okpebholo,” he said.
Brand Ambassador of the Mattei Plan, Olorogun John Paul, popularly known as Daddy Showkey was at the event and lauded the initiative.
He noted, “This program provides an opportunity for Edo State beneficiaries to gain training in various skills, equipping them for sustainable livelihoods.”
Supporters of the impeached Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, on Saturday morning stormed the Speaker’s Lodge located at 47 Joel Ogunnaike Street, GRA Ikeja, Lagos.
The supporters, dressed in pro-Obasa vests and caps, arrived in large numbers at the premises.
According to multiple sources, the group was planning a “heroic welcome” for the former Speaker, who was recently removed from office by a majority of lawmakers in the House.
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Obasa, who was out of the country at the time of his impeachment, was replaced by the former deputy speaker, Mojisola Meranda.
Since her emergence as Speaker, Meranda has presided over two sittings, with Obasa absent from both.
The choice of the Speaker’s Lodge as the location for Obasa’s supposed welcome sparked controversy, as he is no longer officially entitled to the property following his removal.
A resident in the area expressed surprise over the situation, saying, “I didn’t expect that the lodge would be opened for them.”
Armed security personnel, including police officers, were deployed to the area to maintain order and prevent any potential disruption.
As of the time of filing this report, Obasa had yet to arrive at the lodge.
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